Harvard Professor Arrested--Gates Black in America

[oh_gal]

I'm sorry about your friend, but the idea that white people don't think about "race" is total nonsense. As your post demonstrates quite well.

I am a white person. I can honestly say I don't think about race. I can't stand any person, regardless of race, who uses their race as a bargaining chip -- or an excuse.

 

[Brwnigirl]

First, the Sargeant went there because of a suspicious person/burglary in progress. When Gates came to the door, the prudent thing to do is to get him out of the house to talk. Why? Because he could be in danger, as in a perp inside the house, holding a gun to him or a loved one. Or, the perp could be hiding in the house, unbeknownest to Gates.

When Gates acted like an azz and said he was gong back int eh house to get his ID, the officer followed him in. Why? Because if Gates was a nut job (which he was acting like) he could have returned with a gun.

All Gates had to do was to say, Thank you for coming, but it was me trying to get in my back door. There is no emergency, here is my ID. Sorry to have caused a false alarm.

But, instead he said "You're a racist", "you're just doing this because I am black", "this is what it is like to be a black man", "I'll talk to yo' mamma", "do you know who I am?" and who knows what other stupid things, all the while trying to get in touch with the police chief.

The guy is a professor. One would think he has better manners and social skills than he showed. But, he showed his azz, acting like a low rent .

Just because the charges were dropped doesn't mean Gates didn't do what he was arrested for. It just means that the DA wasn't going to prosecute the professor for a misdemeanor. He was given special treatment because of his status.

Anyone else would have had to answer the charges.

Personally, it has been my experience that Blacks are more prejudiced against Whites than the other way around. I have been the victim of racially motivated hate, physically attacked because I am White. My friend was shot and crippled for life by a Black man because she is White. We were both called racial slurs during the attacks.

I am sick of people pretending only Whites are capable of racism. Wake up. Gates made an azz of himself because of his preconceived notions of White police officers. That is called racism.

As a White person, I am tired of White people being blamed for the problems in the Black community and am insulted to be pre-judged as a racist because I am White.

I think the Black community would be surprised to know that MOST White people don't think about "race" when dealing with people. We deal with the person, not the race, and Black people are being mislead by others who have an agenda to keep people in a state of racial tension.

What world have you been living in where you can speak for an entire race of people and how they deal with things? Who are the people misleading Black people with their agenda? That is ludicrous!

I am so tired of some white people stating how black people or any other minority should feel or act about anything..oh yeah and I am white.

 

[RayStar]

Dotseyes the last paragraph of your post at 5:15 pm here is so telling. I tend to think most people notice race then gender which is probably just a natural thing. The reaction to these observations decide what happens later.
Sorry about your friend.

 

[Brwnigirl]

I am a white person. I can honestly say I don't think about race. I can't stand any person, regardless of race, who uses their race as a bargaining chip -- or an excuse.

It's been my experience that white people who don't think about race have never had to.

 

[hockeymom]

(Emphasis added.)

That's illegal now! God help me!

Maybe I said it incorrectly, but Mr.Gates' attitude was what started the whole ridiculous situation,not the color of his skin. I venture to guess that Mr. Gates would act like a pompous ,a** Harvard professor,whether he was white,black,or purple.(and obviously it is not illegal to act that way,but that is what fueled the escalation of events.Mr. Gates chose to make it a racial issue)

 

[Brwnigirl]

Well, let's try it this way then:
There are more blacks in prison than whites or hispanics. Is that more acceptable to you?

Please don't start in on the "whites have more opportunities than blacks in this country". As far as I know, blacks can get a guaranteed student loan to get an education just as easily as whites. That's how I paid (and am still paying) for my education.

It's all about CHOICES. You decide which CHOICE you will make.

I provided statistics to back up what I said. I didn't see yours.

Oh gal- Whites have not been subject to slavery and racism in the same manner. There is no comparison between the white and black experience. What does a student loan have to do with this?

 

[oh_gal]

It's been my experience that white people who don't think about race have never had to.

Thank you for speaking about a whole race of people, and what we think.

 

[oh_gal]

Oh gal- Whites have not been subject to slavery and racism in the same manner. There is no comparison between the white and black experience. What does a student loan have to do with this?

Before the conversation went along the lines of "blacks don't have the same opportunities as whites," (which is where it seemed to me it was headed) I was speaking my mind on the subject. It seemed that Nova was stating, in part, that whites and blacks do not suffer the same injustices when arrested, and a natural extension of that would be someone stating, "well, that's because they haven't had the same advantages of white people."

I realize the connection I was trying to make might be a leap for some, my apologies.

The student loan example was one that I could speak of from experience, which is why I included it, to show that, if education (or lack of) were the issue (or reason some might give for higher crime rates), blacks have the same opportunities as whites, to go into debt funding their college experience.

 

[oh_gal]

Oh gal- Whites have not been subject to slavery and racism in the same manner. There is no comparison between the white and black experience. What does a student loan have to do with this?

I realize that whites and blacks have not had the same slavery experiences, or even racial experiences. The comparision I was speaking of regards choices: whether or not to commit a crime; say a stupid thing; marry someone, etc. We all make choices that determine how our future turns out. If you've ended up in the prison system, it is likely due to choices you made (barring being wrongly convicted, of course).

 

[rubelet]

I am a white person. I can honestly say I don't think about race. I can't stand any person, regardless of race, who uses their race as a bargaining chip -- or an excuse.

This isn't specific to your experience oh_gal but to the larger idea that white people don't think about race, while only minorities do. I think this is an idea that's been brought up a few times on the board.

That's due to a phenomenon called white privilege. White people don't think about race because we (myself included) are the perceived norm in north america; people with white skin are traditionally the people in positions of power, and are free from alot of the problems that people who have different skin colour experience.

Privilege is unnoticed by those with the benefit. Privilege exists in other sociological scenarios as well. Rich people have the privileged experiences compared to people of lower economic statuses, men often have the privilege position to women, etc. These are not absolute and many individuals are aware of these things and work to break down barriers, but these are still things people run into everyday.

An easy example might be the privilege of ability. The world is constructed for an able body person and as an able body person I assume the environment I live and work in is accessible and easy to navigate. I am thinking with the privilege of being an able bodied person. A disabled person may experience a number of problems managing an environment that I gave no thought to.

Today I had a woman with severe vision loss visit my office and the fact the lights were too low greatly incapacitated her. I was thinking about the relaxing atmosphere and my comfort while she just had to deal with it until I clued in.

For anyone looking for a good primer on white skin privilege I would suggest a recent segment on the Colbert Report. It is an analysis of the recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings, dealing with the idea that the life experiences of minorities is biased while white people's life experiences are neutral. I think it's pretty amazing. But it's satire so be warned... the comedy might not be in anyone's taste.

 

[southcitymom]

My opinion is that everyone observes (notices) race just as we observe (notice) gender and other physical characteristics. To say we don't is nonsense.

So the real question becomes "Do we act differently around or towards people who look differently than we do?' My honest answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no. I believe all of us who have lived to a certain age have preconceived notions about various groups of people.

 

[jilly]

Hurray for Gates for backing off of his attitude about "the incident" thus far and for his conciliatory words! http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/gates-says-100597.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

"I told the president that my principal regret was that all of the attention paid to his deeply supportive remarks during his press conference had distracted attention from his health care initiative," Gates said. "I am pleased that he, too, is eager to use my experience as a teaching moment, and if meeting Sgt. Crowley for a beer with the President will further that end, then I would be happy to oblige."

It was a marked change in tone for Gates, 58, who in the days following his arrest gathered up his legal team and said he was contemplating a lawsuit. He even vowed to make a documentary on his arrest to tie into a larger project about racial profiling.

Mad props for seeing through his anger to some reason and agreeing to having a beer with Crowley. Very cool. Also awesome that Obama's change of tone paved the way.

LOL He's obviously found out about Cowley's exemplary track record and been advised by his "legal team" that he wouldn't stand a chance!

 

[southcitymom]

This woman knows both Gates and Crowley very well, so I loved reading about her thoughts on the incident:

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/cambridge-incident-100313.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab&imw=Y

 

[Brwnigirl]

Thank you for speaking about a whole race of people, and what we think.

I didn't speak for the whole race which is why I qualified my sentence by saying my experience and some white people. You missed the meaning of the sentence.

 

[Brwnigirl]

I realize that whites and blacks have not had the same slavery experiences, or even racial experiences. The comparision I was speaking of regards choices: whether or not to commit a crime; say a stupid thing; marry someone, etc. We all make choices that determine how our future turns out. If you've ended up in the prison system, it is likely due to choices you made (barring being wrongly convicted, of course).

I am glad you added ''barring wrongly convicted" which has historically been the black experience not the white one, no choice there.

 

[oh_gal]

I am glad you added ''barring wrongly convicted" which has historically been the black experience not the white one, no choice there.

Great! I'd really hate to irritate you!

 

[Brwnigirl]

I am just pointing out facts..but now that you mention it, it is irritating that facts about minorities are so easily glossed over or ignored in order to bolster one's opinion.

 

[oh_gal]

Too late

Gosh, what a shame...:blowkiss:

 

[MCDRAW]

I am glad you added ''barring wrongly convicted" which has historically been the black experience not the white one, no choice there.

In my opinion thats not a black or white issue as much as a rich or poor issue.

 

[MCDRAW]

Oh gal- Whites have not been subject to slavery and racism in the same manner. There is no comparison between the white and black experience. What does a student loan have to do with this?

Very few, if any blacks that are living now in this Country have ever been subjected to slavery. I am certain that there are blacks that have had to deal with racism but right now there are whites that are having to deal with reverse discrimination. There are poor white people from the wrong side of the tracks that have been discriminated against and had to survive hardships too. There are some people in this Country that want to make everything a black/whie issue. In my opinion, it's more about rich or poor.JMO